FORT WORTH, TEXAS (December 9, 2013) – Hundreds of members of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union proudly representing the Flight Attendants of American Airlines, were on hand this morning to introduce the new American to the flying public.

“Christmas has come early for the APFA,” said union president Laura Glading. “It’s been a long, tough slog, but today our hard work has paid off. The Flight Attendants of the new American are looking forward to building the world’s greatest airline.”

In a ceremony at American’s headquarters near DFW, Flight Attendants joined other frontline employees for a special ceremony commemorating the merger with US Airways and the first day of trading for the new American Airlines Group Inc. (ticker symbol AAL) on the NASDAQ. The new American, the world’s largest airline, will offer consumers a third network carrier option to compete with United and Delta.

APFA members are also looking forward to receiving their allocation of the new American’s equity. The anticipated value of their share is by far the highest in Flight Attendant history.

As a member of the unsecured creditors’ committee during American’s bankruptcy, APFA led the charge in pushing for the merger. After reaching a conditional labor agreement with US Airways, APFA focused on explaining the benefits of the merger plan to the other various creditors and convincing them to support it as well. When the Justice Department challenged the merger with an eleventh-hour antitrust suit, APFA took to Capitol Hill to generate support for the deal.

As part of the labor agreement with US Airways, APFA prescribed a clear and direct path to an industry-leading contract. The agreement will soon bring American and US Airways Flight Attendants together at the bargaining table to unite the groups under a joint collective bargaining agreement that reflects the size and competitiveness of the new American. Most importantly, the agreement will allow the new American’s Flight Attendants to avoid the challenges and pitfalls that beset work groups during previous airline mergers.

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ABOUT APFA: The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, founded in 1977, represents the more than 16,000 active Flight Attendants at American Airlines. In November 2011, American’s parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Throughout the bankruptcy trial, APFA President Laura Glading served on the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee where she fiercely advocated for American Flight Attendants. In December 2013, American and US Airways finalized a merger between the two carriers. Achieving a merger inside bankruptcy is unprecedented in the industry and would not have occurred without APFA’s efforts.